The two walked out of the dungeon. Outside, the sun was shining brightly. Yan Shouyi glanced at the time; it was noon.
If there weren't so many loose ends to tie up, they should have hosted a banquet for Yu Lumen and the others at noon. Yan Shouyi felt very apologetic.
However, Liu Yiren was a local from Rongcheng. She would likely take everyone sightseeing around the area, so Yan Shouyi wasn't worried.
Exchanging a look with Wei Changqing, Yan Shouyi directly took out a Taoist charm and cast a spell to ignite it.
The charm instantly turned to ash, transforming into a wisp of blue light that shot into the sky and dissipated in the clouds.
Not long after, the sound of crows cawing echoed from above them. Soon, a crow landed before them, spitting out a note from its beak.
Sending messages by crow?
Before Yan Shouyi could fully process this, Wei Changqing flicked his fingers, stunning the crow.
"This is no ordinary crow. It will remember our appearances and report back to its master. Once the other party knows our identities, they'll understand everything. So, we can't let it go back," Wei Changqing explained.
Yan Shouyi nodded, secretly thinking how fortunate he was to have his uncle with him. Otherwise, this might have backfired, and what was meant to be a clue-finding mission could have ended up as him falling into the Xin Xuan Mountain Sect's trap.
During the time Wei Changqing spent associating with the actors, he had reached a minor leadership position and had some understanding of the Xin Xuan Mountain Sect. First, he had revealed the true identity of the Skin Painter, and now he had stunned the informant crow. Every move he made was crucial.
"But if the crow doesn't return to report, won't they become suspicious?" Yan Shouyi frowned.
Wei Changqing was unconcerned. "It's fine. Crows aren't at the top of the food chain; a few go missing every year."
It seemed that crows disappearing was a common occurrence.
Dispelling his doubts, Yan Shouyi picked up the note the crow had spat out. It read: Midnight tonight, meet at Jiazidao.
"Jiazidao?"
Yan Shouyi knitted his brows. What kind of place was Jiazidao?
However, since the other party proposed a meeting tonight, Jiazidao couldn't be too far away. It was likely somewhere around Rongcheng.
He took out his phone and searched the map, and indeed, he found Jiazidao.
To the east of Rongcheng was Gulou Ridge, where the Liu family resided. Further east from Gulou Ridge lay the sea.
In that sea area, the largest island was called Langqi Island, and Jiazidao was located three nautical miles north of Langqi Island. To get to the island, one had to take a ferry or a speedboat.
Yan Shouyi searched for more information about Jiazidao and found that the island was not very large. It had previously been uninhabited but was later contracted by a company for aquaculture.
"Uncle, is this Jiazidao related to the Xin Xuan Mountain Sect?" Yan Shouyi asked.
Wei Changqing shook his head. "The Xin Xuan Mountain Sect operates in secrecy. Everyone is largely unaware of the others' backgrounds. However, judging by the nature of that group, Jiazidao is likely already their stronghold."
The information available online was limited, so Yan Shouyi called his two young assistants, Lin Yu and Lin Yin, asking them to investigate Jiazidao.
The two assistants were quite efficient and quickly provided a response.
First, the company that contracted Jiazidao was a shell company. The company's legal representative was merely a construction worker from a building site, likely a victim of identity theft.
Second, after Jiazidao was contracted, although a lot of construction materials were transported to the island, seemingly only a leisure resort was built. The aquaculture and other operations were baseless claims.
Finally, Jiazidao was under local protection, making it difficult for ordinary people to get onto the island. However, every month, some mysterious individuals would arrive by speedboat, stay for about three days to a week, and then leave.
Being able to gather this information was thanks to the Lin family's network. Anyone else would likely have found nothing.
"The other party doesn't know about the failure with the Skin Painter yet, so the rendezvous is likely to assign the next task," Yan Shouyi mused after a moment's thought. "I think we need to go to Jiazidao."
"Plan as you see fit." Wei Changqing had always been supportive of Yan Shouyi's decisions.
Yan Shouyi nodded and then left with a heavy heart.
He called a driver, setting the destination as Ping'an Building, and simultaneously contacted Long Feicheng and the others, informing them that Lü Jing and the others were being held at Ping'an Building.
On the way, he carefully considered his plan for the evening.
The car slowly stopped at the parking lot of Ping'an Building.
Ever since Yan Shouyi had dealt with Bai Shixi and his group who had occupied Ping'an Building, it was no longer a haunted dwelling. After renovations by the Lin family, it had gradually opened up to attract investment.
However, due to the building's notorious reputation, locals were hesitant. As a result, only the lower two or three floors of Ping'an Building had been rented out; no one was willing to rent higher floors.
It was worth noting that the largest tenant of Ping'an Building was actually a company that operated a haunted house escape room!
The company specifically chose to open a haunted house here, capitalizing on Ping'an Building's reputation to gain popularity.
Young people nowadays enjoyed seeking thrills, and opening a haunted house in a building known for being haunted was a double dose of excitement. Their business, reportedly, was quite good.
After meeting Long Feicheng and the others, Long Feicheng saw the massive haunted house sign and the young women with pale faces and cold sweat on their foreheads. He couldn't help but laugh.
"If they knew Ping'an Building was actually haunted before, I wonder if they'd still dare to come in... How about we stuff a few real ghosts into their haunted house to help them enhance the experience?"
"You should really save it!" Yan Shouyi shot him a look. "Ping'an Building finally managed to rent out two floors. If you mess this up, the merchants will want to terminate their leases again."
"Amitabha," Chang Shan asked, "Where are Senior Lü Jing and the others being held?"
"Follow me." Yan Shouyi walked towards the elevator and pressed the button for the eighteenth floor.
...
On the eighteenth floor of Ping'an Building, in a room shrouded in darkness, over a dozen core members of the Lü Shan Sect were imprisoned.
They had been held there for over half a month, and the water and food they were initially given were running out.
Everyone was listless and their eyes were numb. Even their spiritual pillar, Sect Leader Lü Jing, had a finger severed a few days prior.
This crisis was undoubtedly a matter of life and death for the Lü Shan Sect, but these core members could do nothing, and their very survival was now in question.
Seeing their numb and desperate state, Lü Jing, still bearing wounds, snorted and lectured them.
"You are all the pillars of the Lü Shan Sect. The Lü Shan Sect has not fallen, and we must not fall!"